Narrative:

May/mon/95 at approximately XA15 hours, I radioed toa on 124.0, reporting 8 mi southeast with (ATIS) delta. The tower told me to make straight in for runway 29 (at this point I can't be certain if it was runway 29R or runway 29L) and report the vincent thomas bridge. Soon, another aircraft reported in, from the harbor. There was discussion by the tower telling the other plane that it was a big harbor and asking for more specifics. The other aircraft soon said he was in the area of the vincent thomas bridge -- which diverted my attention to look for him. Moments later, the tower told him that his traffic was a grumman, (my plane) 12 O'clock, 1 mi. There was some more radio traffic between him and the tower. The tower then gave him a different runway assignment -- apparently because of his close proximity to me. (Although I didn't have any doubt while on the approach, thinking back, I can't recall when I fixated on preparing to land on runway 29R. In retrospect, I don't recall if I was initially given instructions to land on runway 29R or if I developed that as a result of hearing runway 29R instructions for the other aircraft). When about 1 or 2 mi out I was given clearance to land. Again I was probably told which runway but apparently I was already fixated on runway 29R. After landing on runway 29R, slowing my plane, and then when I was approaching the high speed turnoff, I heard the other aircraft say that he was going around. The tower asked me where I was and I informed them that I was on the ground and just about to exit the high speed. I was then told that I had landed on the wrong runway. Not only is it greatly disturbing to me that I may not have listened correctly to the instructions while on the approach, it is of equal concern that neither of the controllers noticed that I was lined up for runway 29R, that I had landed on runway 29R, and that I was taxing on runway 29R in preparation for exiting at the high speed exit. When the other aircraft said that he was going around, only then did the controller ask for my position, not knowing that I was on the ground. From the time that I reported in, the only radio traffic that I heard on 124.0 was me and the aircraft behind me. In retrospect, I suspect that there were no other aircraft in the process of landing or taking off on either runway because both myself and the aircraft behind me were cleared to land -- one on each runway. Maybe the lack of traffic is the reason the controllers were not watching us. With only 2 planes in the air, and each cleared to land on a parallel runway, they may have taken time to do paperwork chores. Naturally, as I approached the landing, I was carefully scanning the sky and did not see any other aircraft on downwind, base or final for either runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMA PLT LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY. THE PLT STATED THAT DISTR OF OTHER ACFT'S RADIO XMISSIONS MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED.

Narrative: MAY/MON/95 AT APPROX XA15 HRS, I RADIOED TOA ON 124.0, RPTING 8 MI SE WITH (ATIS) DELTA. THE TWR TOLD ME TO MAKE STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 29 (AT THIS POINT I CAN'T BE CERTAIN IF IT WAS RWY 29R OR RWY 29L) AND RPT THE VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE. SOON, ANOTHER ACFT RPTED IN, FROM THE HARBOR. THERE WAS DISCUSSION BY THE TWR TELLING THE OTHER PLANE THAT IT WAS A BIG HARBOR AND ASKING FOR MORE SPECIFICS. THE OTHER ACFT SOON SAID HE WAS IN THE AREA OF THE VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE -- WHICH DIVERTED MY ATTN TO LOOK FOR HIM. MOMENTS LATER, THE TWR TOLD HIM THAT HIS TFC WAS A GRUMMAN, (MY PLANE) 12 O'CLOCK, 1 MI. THERE WAS SOME MORE RADIO TFC BTWN HIM AND THE TWR. THE TWR THEN GAVE HIM A DIFFERENT RWY ASSIGNMENT -- APPARENTLY BECAUSE OF HIS CLOSE PROX TO ME. (ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HAVE ANY DOUBT WHILE ON THE APCH, THINKING BACK, I CAN'T RECALL WHEN I FIXATED ON PREPARING TO LAND ON RWY 29R. IN RETROSPECT, I DON'T RECALL IF I WAS INITIALLY GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO LAND ON RWY 29R OR IF I DEVELOPED THAT AS A RESULT OF HEARING RWY 29R INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE OTHER ACFT). WHEN ABOUT 1 OR 2 MI OUT I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND. AGAIN I WAS PROBABLY TOLD WHICH RWY BUT APPARENTLY I WAS ALREADY FIXATED ON RWY 29R. AFTER LANDING ON RWY 29R, SLOWING MY PLANE, AND THEN WHEN I WAS APCHING THE HIGH SPD TURNOFF, I HEARD THE OTHER ACFT SAY THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND. THE TWR ASKED ME WHERE I WAS AND I INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS ON THE GND AND JUST ABOUT TO EXIT THE HIGH SPD. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT I HAD LANDED ON THE WRONG RWY. NOT ONLY IS IT GREATLY DISTURBING TO ME THAT I MAY NOT HAVE LISTENED CORRECTLY TO THE INSTRUCTIONS WHILE ON THE APCH, IT IS OF EQUAL CONCERN THAT NEITHER OF THE CTLRS NOTICED THAT I WAS LINED UP FOR RWY 29R, THAT I HAD LANDED ON RWY 29R, AND THAT I WAS TAXING ON RWY 29R IN PREPARATION FOR EXITING AT THE HIGH SPD EXIT. WHEN THE OTHER ACFT SAID THAT HE WAS GOING AROUND, ONLY THEN DID THE CTLR ASK FOR MY POS, NOT KNOWING THAT I WAS ON THE GND. FROM THE TIME THAT I RPTED IN, THE ONLY RADIO TFC THAT I HEARD ON 124.0 WAS ME AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME. IN RETROSPECT, I SUSPECT THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN THE PROCESS OF LNDG OR TAKING OFF ON EITHER RWY BECAUSE BOTH MYSELF AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME WERE CLRED TO LAND -- ONE ON EACH RWY. MAYBE THE LACK OF TFC IS THE REASON THE CTLRS WERE NOT WATCHING US. WITH ONLY 2 PLANES IN THE AIR, AND EACH CLRED TO LAND ON A PARALLEL RWY, THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN TIME TO DO PAPERWORK CHORES. NATURALLY, AS I APCHED THE LNDG, I WAS CAREFULLY SCANNING THE SKY AND DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER ACFT ON DOWNWIND, BASE OR FINAL FOR EITHER RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.